Infants and other incontinent individuals wear disposable absorbent articles such as diapers to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. Absorbent articles function both to contain the discharge materials and to isolate these materials from the body of the wearer and from the wearer's garments and bed clothing. Disposable absorbent articles having many different basic designs are known to the art.
However, absorbent articles have a tendency to sag or gap away from and to slide/slip down on the body of the wearer during wear. This sagging/gapping and sliding/slipping is caused by the relative motions of the wearer as the wearer breathes, moves, and changes positions by the downward forces generated when the absorbent article is loaded with body exudates, and by the deformation of the materials of the absorbent article itself when subjected to such wearer's motions. This sagging/gapping and sliding/slipping of the absorbent article can lead to premature leakage and poor fit of the absorbent article about the wearer in the waist regions and the leg regions of the absorbent article.
In order to more snugly fit absorbent articles about the wearer, certain commercially available absorbent articles have been provided with elasticized waistbands and elasticized side panels. An example of a disposable diaper with elasticized waistbands and elasticized side panels is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,092 issued to Buell et al. on Sep.29, 1992. The elasticized waistband and the elasticized side panels typically comprise an elastic member affixed between portions of the absorbent article, for example, between the topsheet and the backsheet. The elasticized waistband and the elasticized side panels are thus, designed to expand and contract with the wearer's motions to maintain the fit of the absorbent article about the wearer during use.
The incorporation of elastic members into disposable absorbent products such as disposable diapers has increased both the cost of materials and construction of the disposable diapers. In addition, it has been found that absorbent articles having elasticized waistbands and elasticized side panels comprising elastomeric films can make the absorbent article feel hot and uncomfortable to wear because the elastomeric film is impermeable to air and/or moisture thereby making the absorbent article feel hot and uncomfortable in the waist region and in the side panels.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for forming a composite elastic material which is breathable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for forming a breathable composite elastic material which is suitable for use in a disposable absorbent article.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a low cost method for forming a composite elastic material.
These and other objectives of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.